Northern WI, Lake Superior, "You stole our democracy, now you're stealing our water"

[annm4peace]

Published on Sep 25, 2013
September 25, 2013 - Barbara With testifies on SB 302, a bill that restricts DNR's ability to regulate high capacity wells. The bill was introduced last week. Barbara focuses on how it would impact northern Wisconsin in light of a massive mining operation that requires the use of large amounts of water.

Northern WI, and Madeline Island is a beautiful island, and northern WI is dotted with lakes and waterways.

People don't realize why some much corporate money was poured into WI to keep Gov Walker in power... just follow the money.

The Penokee Hills in Iron County provided a breathtaking backdrop last weekend for a convergence of approximately 300 dedicated individuals who are resisting what could end up being the largest open pit iron mine in the world (4 1/2 miles long, 1.5 miles wide and up 1,000 feet deep). The mine is slated to run through the pristine landscape across Iron and Ashland Counties in Northern Wisconsin. An Ojibwe Harvest Camp has been operating and educating in opposition to the venture for months while the mining company’s armed mercenaries patrolled the forest. What follows here is some background to the Penokee Hills Education Summit held at Whitecap Resort in Upson. In my next post I’ll outline what took place at the summit itself.


http://occupyhburg.wordpress.com/2013/09/26/resist-the-mineenvision-the-future-the-penokee-hills-education-summit-part-one/

[annm4peace]

1. what will we do when our water is polluted ?

Earlier this year the Wisconsin legislature fast-tracked and passed a deregulation bill called AB1 – SB1 which gutted long-established checks on mining practices. Journalist and activist Rebecca Kemble follows the Penokee Hills mining issue closely and described the bill’s amendments in her February 2013 story for The Progressive:

These include allowing a mining operation to drill as many high-capacity wells as they need without regard to the impacts the wells have on drawing down water levels of nearby municipal water supplies or groundwater tables from which rural households get their drinking water. It also allows for the filling of a lake or pond that is less than 2-acres in size with mining waste and tailings piles, and eliminates the administrative law proceeding known as a contested case hearing from the permitting process itself.

[postulater]

2. This mine would replace 10000 years of complex ecosystem with

devastation lasting tens of thousands of years.

[inch4progress]

3. Highly informative and relevant post! Great work Annm4peace!

[annm4peace]

4. I just found out about it this week

We have to work against Keystone pipeline, the expansion of Enbridge, and now this... all affect the waterways in MN and WI. grrrrr.

[blue14u]

5. annmforpeace thank you

for the information. This is the first I have heard of it and

now plan to keep an eye out for further information. Please let me know if there is anything I can do to help.. I am living in the deep south, but I want to help

save our environment..

Peace be with you and all in your area...

[Scuba]

6. Thank you Barbara With (again) for defending our State!

And thank you annm4peace, for this post.


on edit: Thanks Barbara for calling out that idiot Tiffany who pushed the bill but didn't even stay for the testimony.